Eason's Win Affirms 10 Years Of Changes

HAMPTON — As he took to the podium to address a crowd of supporters, Mayor James L. Eason savored his hard-fought victory Tuesday night.

"I cannot tell you how happy I am," said Eason, flanked by his wife and children. "I'm so pleased at what you have done for me."

His third re-election victory was made especially sweet for Eason because, unlike his past campaigns, he was not favored to win. Fueled by an economic slowdown and lingering resentment over some city investments, voter anger this year was considered strong enough to oust Eason from power after a 10-year reign. A professional poll conducted for Eason in February showed him trailing Councilwoman Linda E. McNeeley by as much as 18 percentage points.

But Jimmy Eason, the former all-star Hampton High Crabber, came out fighting with gusto, and won his game.

The victory marked a solid affirmation of the course the city has followed since 1982, when Eason ousted then-mayor Thomas J. Gear to win the city's highest elected office in what was the first direct election of a mayor.

Eason's influence over the past 10 years can be measured in a myriad of ways, from the overhaul of the city budget in the early 1980s to the buildings that make up the beginning of a downtown skyline.

During his tenure, which profited from the economic boom of the Reagan years, the city has undertaken dozens of construction projects, including a new library, courthouse, parks, recreation centers and the Virginia Air and Space Center.

A former School Board vice chairman, Eason has also doubled local funding for education, providing money that boosted teacher pay and provided for expanded programs and staff.

An astute accountant, Eason has been keenly aware of the city's relatively low commercial tax base, compared to those of surrounding localities, and undertook several efforts to make Hampton attractive to new businesses.

Under Eason's leadership, the city developed the new Hampton Roads Center business park on Magruder Boulevard. Last fall, the park landed its first major plum, when Lucas Industries PLC, a huge British aerospace and automotive conglomerate, agreed to open a division there.